Here’s a little more info on new Oscar co-hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway.
Hathaway told me last night at the Gotham Awards that she literally agreed to be co-host on Sunday night. “It’s a big responsibility,” she told me. “I’m not even sure what it means yet.” She also hasn’t discussed with the producers whether or not she’ll sing, although she definitely wants to. It seems like a natural plan: Hathaway has a terrific voice.
Franco, she says, was already willing and able to do the job.
From what sources say, Franco’s role in this came about because of his relationship with this year’s Oscar producer, Bruce Cohen. Cohen produced “Milk,” in which Franco co-starred with Sean Penn. That’s how Cohen made the connection. So far this year Franco has starred in two important movies, published a book of short stories, shot documentaries and is now shooting a feature film, curated a downtown New York art show, guest starred on “General Hospital,” finished graduate work at Columbia and NYU, and commenced post-graduate work at Yale and the Rhode Island School of Design.
Co-hosting the Oscars shouldn’t be a problem!
Another source says that Cohen’s plan is to have the pair of actors do less ‘hosting’ and more sort of ‘introducing.’ “It’s supposed to hearken back to the Oscars of the 1950s.”
